Senate Democrats Stand With President Obama And Vow To Block Republican Refugee Bill

Unlike roughly four-dozen House Democrats, Senate Democrats are vowing to stick with President Obama and block a Republican bill that would not allow Syrian refugees into the country.

On the Senate floor, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said that the refugee bill is part of a pattern of Republican expressions of hatred towards Muslims, “This is the latest in what has become a disturbing pattern of Republican hatred and intolerance towards Muslims from the Republican Party. Remember, Syria is mostly Muslim. There are Jews and Christians, too – lots of them. During the course of the current presidential cycle, we’ve heard from the leading lights of the Republican Party.”

The Hill reported that Senate Democrats later promised to block the Republican refugee bill:

Reid said at a press conference that Democrats will block the legislation that requires the secretary of Homeland Security to affirm to Congress that every refugee being admitted is not a security threat.

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Senate Democrats are pushing alternative legislation, to be unveiled after Thanksgiving, that would tighten up security gaps in the visa waiver program.

“The problem is not with refugees,” Reid said. “I don’t think we’ll be dealing with it over here.”

When asked about the prospect of Obama vetoing the legislation, Reid said, “Don’t worry, it won’t get passed. Next question?”

President Obama has already issued a veto threat on the Republican bill, “Given the lives at stake and the critical importance to our partners in the Middle East and Europe of American leadership in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis, if the President were presented with H.R. 4038, he would veto the bill.”

Forty-seven House Democrats put their tails between their legs and betrayed their party and their president by voting for the House Republican bill. The same cowardly act is not going to happen in the Senate. Republicans are promising to punish Democrats if they block the bill, but the reality is the risks are tiny for Democrats.

There won’t be a single Syrian war refugee admitted to the country for another 18-24 months. The next election is less than a year away. The odds of a new Syrian refugee committing an act of terrorism the United States is exactly zero. Republicans are delusional if they believe that the Paris terrorist attack will be an issue in the next presidential election.

Senate Democrats are sticking with Obama, and unlike those House Democrats who turned yellow, voters will reward Senate Democratic candidates next November.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association